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Feisty Spirits Co

June 2, 2015
man standing in front of distilling equipment
David Monahan, co-founder and distiller at Feisty Spirits, will be the guest speaker at the e2e Laramie meeting June 24. (Photo provided by WTBC)

The co-founder and distiller at Feisty Spirits, a new and successful whiskey house in Fort Collins, Colo., will be the guest speaker of the e2e Wyoming meeting in Laramie this month.

David Monahan will speak Wednesday, June 24, 5:30-7 p.m., at the Marian H. Rochelle Gateway Center, 222 S. 22nd St., in Laramie. After many years working in big industry, Monahan went on to make a career as an entrepreneur.

“David brings his background in materials science and industrial engineering to the art of distilling exceptional whiskies, determining the specific requirements to optimize production of the best distillation cut, but also the nuances of raw materials sourcing, fermentation, barrel aging and how they can be manipulated to provide delectable flavor,” says David Bohling, assistant director of the Wyoming Technology Business Center (WTBC). “David will share his stories of how one can be successful in a startup like Feisty, the pitfalls that surround you and the hurdles that must be leapt, all while enjoying the journey.”

Monahan spent many years at Texas Instruments and Hewlett-Packard, working in a number of disciplines. He started his entrepreneurial path with Better Building Systems, a pre-manufactured housing company he led for two years. He next pursued and received his doctorate in industrial engineering from Purdue University.

While in graduate school, Monahan co-founded and led Optolynx, a fiber-optic networking company he ran from 1999-2003. His graduation and a downturn in the networking business resulted in Monahan’s move to Colorado and another startup, Sprig Toys, in 2007. The eventual sale of Sprig Toys to Wham-O in 2010 allowed Monahan to return to his Appalachian heritage of distilling. He started Feisty Spirits in 2012.

“He has also been very active in overall economic development, helping other companies and startups reach their goals through mentoring and sharing best practices he’s learned through trials and successes,” Bohling says.

E2e Wyoming is an educational networking program with chapters in Laramie, Casper, Gillette and Sheridan. It is designed to improve the climate for the startup and growth of entrepreneurial companies. Each e2e chapter meets bimonthly for 45 minutes of networking, followed by a 45-minute program. The programs include successful entrepreneurs telling their stories, panel discussion on relevant topics and advice from experts in a specific business.

The WTBC, a not-for-profit business incubator that provides entrepreneurs with the expertise, networks and tools necessary for success, launched e2e as an educational networking program.

For more information about e2e, call the WTBC at (307) 766-6395.

Contact Us

Institutional Communications

Bureau of Mines Building, Room 137

Laramie

Laramie, WY 82071

Phone: (307) 766-2929

Email: cbaldwin@uwyo.edu

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